Earth anchor



Jan. 16, 1951 w J, BINKLEY 2,538,409

EARTH ANCHOR Filed Feb. 2, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WILLIAM J. BINKLEY ATTORNEY W. J. BINKLEY Jan. 16, 1951 EARTH ANCHOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1948 FIG. 6.

JNVEN TOR.

WlLLlAM J. BINKLEY ATTORNEY e ielbii etedsmb 22' :a wn ue .2 Ei

gpposed. interlocking relationship with each other elignedfhiolei bojxed in me spmadelfiplgle 1: 3,.

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES William J. assignprto siiiklei'mgt cigmpany, warrep mmmo g aem -Qqi atip'r dfrMisso'ilyi enaliee xe elemey 1 91. Fig, ,6 arelexn os ed. si eend, 3i-

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a ,red, m bp .ment, xezaxckmnems --t. 'o dfit fipa y ierm dlan hdr ria e' 1 e. e s .I l qbz er QPPP -Wfl we e 2 e me Qfille 29 Plate I interlocking hinge portions leh nd, 1,5,,1latei 201 V laiit leh he a e m 't e latera d ple emen i ,7 1. I and 13 14.5 !Oki1 com defi qwhen hub assembled e al q a -eshaped section 29. fiimilerl the hin e lat H L2- ere QPQQEtQ qn"to o, ;be 'rper-tien .0f-- hep1a,t l2; fumed Wit -a119,;- 45 film mate l...3-so ,thet awe-section 133 Si 15a 1151a: section in whichan elqngated slot the f191r1-11e1: and 'aoe sectienfi Qf the'lgttjer liesigg, :2 s-eut, a-to'ngue 21' andan L-Ishgmped seetiog; 01m rqunded mpeurfaaesfiofthe spreader, plate 38,-. -T-he;rectangu1ar sections Zlfland Hand -111.1 .13. Fbnthe purpose or holding the anghor as; L-Lshaped secti0ns24 and. 28 form nespectivelythe sembled duning the time which it is plagedin female and male parts of two separable hinges the gr 0und,.separate frangible tie wiresgre passed which lie, on opposite sides ot fihe md 46 '(Eig.=-3') through a 113016, 36 and algqleg'l formed in :tlgze wheniheidentical plates Hand lzareplace'din tneiseetiom pi theanehqg plates. .5 Land 1 2 159 which has been prepared therefor. Thereafter, by means of a tamping rod, the anchor plates II and [2 are forced downwardly along the anchor rod IB until they occupy the position shown in Fig. 4. This action moves the toe se tions the anchor plates outwardly into the undisturbed earth to anchor the end of the rod l6 perinanentl'y therein or until such time as it is salvaged by unscrewing it from the spreader plate and withdrawing it from .the ground. In the course of spreading the anchor plates the rounded portion 35 of the spreader plate l3 serves as a cam to engage the toe sections 33 and 34 of the anchor plates and turnthem outwardly as the tamping blows are applied all in a well known manner. Further, it is to be pointed out that the corrugations which are made in each of the anchor plates H and I2 form locking areas 38 and 39 (Figs. 2 and a). which paSs over the rounded upper surface 35 of the spreader plate l3 as shown in Fig. 4 and thereafter lock the anchor plates in their outward or expanded position.

With further reference to the hinge sections l4 and i5 which are bent as above described, it is to be noted that when the composite anchor is spread, the male and female hinge sections only are bent. Thus, they bend along a line 4| which passes substantially through the center of the composite hinge section of the anchor so that the complementary hinge sections of the individual anchor plates extend substantially vertically and abutt each other as shown in Fig. 4, there being no bending action at the points 42 and .43. This carries the tongues 23 and 21 into the positions indicated in Fig. 4 and limits the bending of the hinge sections to areas thereof which prohibit the possibility of any fracture to the anchor plates at critical points. It is to be noted that the controlled bending action of the hinge sections l4 and i5 is achieved at the desired points, that is,

parallel and centrally between the edges 42 and 43 along line il by reason of the slots 22 and 26 weakening that portion of the hinge as compared to therigid, stronger construction present at the points 42 and 43. Likewise, the L-shaped sections' 24 and 28, being'weaker than the edges 42 and 43, react to pressure similarly. In addition, the preformed bends inthe hinge sections l4 and I5 assist in localizing the bending action to the area.

While no limitation as to the material to be used is intended, the anchor herein described possesses the advantage that it may be manufactured as a die formed steel anchor. therefore, be made much more cheaply than other anchors of its general type, and thesavings which its use may obtain are pronounced when compared with cast' or malleable iron anchors. Moreover, since each of the anchor plates II and I2 are identical, a plurality of them may be nested one within the other for the purposes of transportation or storage, and when so arranged, they will occupy a minimum amount of space. Still claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of the invention may be used without the whole and improvements ma be added while retaining some or all of the advan tage of the invention.

What is claimed is? 1. In an earth anchor having a pair of anchor plates between which an anchor rod is passed for attachment to a spreader plate upon which latter element said anchor plates are supported and over which they are spreadable, the improvement comprising means for interconnecting said anchor plates consisting of a female and male hinge section formed as a part of each of said anchor plates respectively said male Sections be ing passed into said female sections, and a stop formed on each of said anchor plates each of which is adapted to lie adjacent to and on oppo site sides of said rod tolock said male hinge sections in said female hinge sections.-

In an earth anchor having an anchor rod and a spreader plate attached thereto Whichis adapted to support a pair of anchorplates and over which said anchor plates are spread, the improvement comprising two-separate but identically formed hinge sections, a male and a female sides of said rod, and a stop formed on each of said anchor plates each of which is adapted to lie adjacent to and on opposite sides of said .rod to lock said male hinge sections in'said female hinge sections. 7 r

3. In an earth anchor having a pair of anchor plates between which an anchor rod is passed for attachment to a spreader plate upon which latter element said anchor plates are supported, and over which they are spreadable, the improvement residing in a hinge for connecting said plates comprising a female hinge section formed on one of said anchor plates, a male hinge section formed on the other of said anchor plates and passed into said female section to hinge said plates together, and preformed bends made in 7 both of said hinge sections whereby said hinge It may,

further, the construction of the anchor plates is such that two of them can be interlocked and assembled with an anchor rod and a spreader plate very quickly and easily. This feature of the invention provides for an anchor which may be transported to its point of use disassembled. 1

Also, the component parts of the anchor need not be sacked or connected with bolts or wires during transportation to assure that all parts of the anchor reach their point of use.

sections will bend along lines within each when said anchor plates are forced downwardly over said spreader plate.

4. In an earth anchor having a pair of spade shaped anchor plates with toe portions thereof supported on a concaved spreader plate to which is attached .an anchor rod passed between said plates, the combination with a hinge for connecting said anchor plates comprising arectangularly shaped hinge section formedon a first of said anchor plates at substantially a right angle to the body thereof and having an elongated slot cut therein, an L-shaped hinge section formed on a second of said anchor platesat substantially a right angle to the body thereof, said L-shaped section being passed into the slot of said rectangularly'shaped section and displaced longitudi nally of said slot, and a' tongue formed on said second anchor plate -at a spaced distance from said L-shaped hinge section adapted to lie ad- Various changes may be made in, the details jacent to said rod and lock said L-shaped hinge section in said rectangularly shaped hinge sectioni: g

5. 'An anchor plate formed as a unitary metal stamping comprising a spade-like member having of construction, within the scope of the appended toe and body sections, a rectangularly shaped 5 hinge section formed on one side of said body section at substantially a right angle thereto and having an elongated slot therein,'an L-shaped hinge section formed on the other side of said body section at substantially a right angle 5 thereto, a tongue formed on said body section intermediate said hinge sections, and preformed bends made in both of said hinge sections to cause the outer half portions of each to lie in a plane above the inner portions thereof.

WILLIAM J. BINKLEY.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Cissna Apr. 3, 1905 Pieper Nov. 21, 1933 Pieper June 18, 1935 Sedgwick 'Oct. 19, 1943 Pieper Nov. 30, 1943 Hubbard Nov. 14, 1944 

